Asian Glossy Starling

The Asian glossy starling is a starling about 20cm long and 50–60g. Adults of both sexes are glossy black with a bright red eye, except in one subspecies, which has a white eye. Juveniles are blackish-brown above and whitish below, heavily streaked with dark brown, with a yellow, orange or pink eye. The subspecies differ in the extent and intensity of the gloss and in bill size (Wikipedia, general species account).

It ranges from north-east India and Bangladesh through South-east Asia to the Philippines and has been introduced to Taiwan. It often lives in towns and cities, sheltering in abandoned buildings and trees, and moves about in large groups; it is considered one of the noisiest birds. SoIB 2023 lists it as a resident of Indian islands with a restricted range, has too little data for a trend, and rates it a Moderate conservation priority (Wikipedia, general species account; SoIB 2023).